NBA Style

November 7, 2013 · 10:13AM

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook‘s injured knee not only kept him off the court the first few games of the season, it kept him from being a full participant in the NBA Style wars that have been ongoing for years now. Sure, he was able to participate in New York Fashion Week, but that’s nothing compared to what happens when NBA teams walk from their bus to their locker room and are caught on camera.

But now Westbrook is back and healthy, and not only is he throwing down coast-to-coast dunks, but a sure sign that he’s back is that he’s breaking out collarless zebra print zip-up jackets as part of his pregame wardrobe…

October 23, 2013 · 3:34PM

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — NBA players are just like us, you guys, in that they like to collect things the same way we do. But while we might collect things like sports cards or, I dunno, socks or something, NBA players can garner things at a higher luxury level.

The website Hodinkee.com focuses on watch news and reviews, and in this piece for GQ.com, the site’s editor talks about how he met Clippers guard J.J. Redick over Instagram when Redick commented on a classic watch photo. So they sat down and in the video below, they discuss Redick’s passion for “classic-looking watches.”-

October 16, 2013 · 11:41AM

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Today adidas unveiled their all new collection of NBA on-court gear. According to adidas, “The NBA On-Court Collection will outfit all 30 NBA teams with the most innovative performance and on-trend style.” A photo gallery follows, but first some details…

On-Court Warm-Up Jacket And Pant — To illustrate the speed of the game, the jacket features intensity graphics on the sleeves and front panel of the body; Sleeves and trim of the jacket feature contrasting color to the body of the jacket; An homage to team pride, the back of the jacket features the geographical team name and logo in white-stencil font; Warm-up pant features ventilation panels built into high-performance areas for comfort and functionality along with adidas’ classic three stripes.

Varsity Warm-Up Jacket — Designed to capture the classic varsity jacket look and feel and built for optimal performance and on-court usage; Worn by all players and teams for weekend home games after Christmas Day; Classic heather grey-based jacket with contrasting team-colored sleeves; Soft-textured team patch logos on the back and left chest complete the varsity look.

Long-Sleeve Shooting Shirt — Team name across the chest in official team font; Front and back panels feature contrasting team colors along with accenting impact camo sleeves to illustrate speed and style.

Short-Sleeve Shooting Shirt — Varsity-style shooting shirt features team letter logo on the left chest; Features player’s name and number on the back and an impact camo pattern across the entire shirt to illustrate speed and style.

The collection is available now at NBAstore.com. To see Harrison Barnes, Damian Lillard, Derrick Rose, Ricky Rubio, Iman Shumpert and John Wall model the new gear, check below…

October 4, 2013 · 10:24AM

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Horace Grant always did the dirty work. And it was that willingness to fight for rebounds, set screens and knock down midrange shots that allowed him to play in the NBA for 17 years, and, more importantly, win four championships (three with the Chicago Bulls, one with the Los Angeles Lakers.)

Yet for casual fans, Grant was perhaps best known as the guy in the bright goggles. No matter which team he played for, he always had a pair of color-coordinated goggles. According to this classic story, once he was diagnosed with poor vision, Grant chose goggles over contacts and, according to his doctor, “[Grant] said it was like a whole new world opening to him.” Although they were there for function, the goggles quickly became a style trademark for Grant.

And now the look will live on. According to the blog Orlando Pinstriped Post, Magic F Jason Maxiell is planning on reviving the look…

Maxiell underwent surgery on Easter to correct a detached retina, and he will “most likely” wear protective goggles for his own safety throughout the season. “I don’t have to, but I would rather [wear them].” He’s still not sure when or how the original injury occurred.

Currently, Maxiell is wearing a sleeker and more stylish pair of goggles similar to the ones Bo Outlaw wore when he was with the Magic. Maxiell says the Grant goggles are “a little more durable, [and] a little more my style.”

September 12, 2013 · 1:44PM

So Russell Westbrook has been pronounced the “Kate Moss of the NBA.”

It’s quite the compliment considering it comes from Vogue entertainment editor Jill Demling, who happens to be a sports junkie. Funny, because the Oklahoma City Thunder star, as NBA fans have come to learn over the past couple seasons, happens to be a fashion junkie.

That’s why he was in New York for Fashion Week and sitting courtside, if you will, at Friday night’s Rag & Bone Show with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, only the most powerful person in fashion and who seems to have taken an interest in the fashion stylings of the eclectic point guard.

“Russell is part of a newer generation, players that take fashion as a real badge of cool,” said Jim Moore, creative director for GQ in a New York Times article that chronicled Westbrook’s whirlwind fashion tour. “For years and years, you had that Pat Riley and Michael Jordan idea of off-court style; they were all going to the same tailors and they were almost getting too fancy with it.”

Westbrook says he got his fashion sense from his mother Shannon. He said she always dressed nice and wanted him to as well. Her fashion sense rubbed off, he said.

“The shows, as an experience, have been amazing,” Westbrook said, noting that stepping out of the basketball scene and meeting designers “was refreshing.” … “It was a learning process for me, to be able to see the shows from a different point of view.”

For Westbrook, who continues to rehab from knee surgery in April, this jaunt to Fashion Week wasn’t just about being seen and wearing ultra-hip outfits. The article says he’d one day like to have his own line of clothing.

Maybe he can start with a re-design of the Thunder’s road unis. That could be interesting.

August 13, 2013 · 12:17PM

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Dwight Howard will be in a new uniform this season, and he’ll be wearing new shoes as well. On November 1, adidas will be dropping the D Howard 4, the latest in his line of signature shoes. They gave us a sneak peek of the shoes today.

According to adidas: “The spiral wave design on the shoe’s upper is inspired by Dwight’s playing style and how he circles the paint protecting the rim by blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. The bright color palette of this Yellow-Gold-Blue colorway was selected to match Dwight’s personality while the tongue and three-stripes branding both feature a chrome treatment to stand out on the court.”

The D Howard 4 will be available on adidas.com starting Nov. 1. Check the gallery below for pics…-

August 12, 2013 · 10:12AM

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — We have done our best to aggressively cover NBA Style here at the All Ball blog, which meant, particularly during the Playoffs, seeing numerous players come in and out of the arenas dressed like they were in a fashion show. But as great as most of the guys looked, only a few put in that kind of effort 24/7, wearing outfits that are certain to get people talking when appropriate.

For OKC guard Russell Westbrook, that means pretty much all the time. Last night, for the Teen Choice Awards, Westbrook broke out an outfit that prety much defies description. I’ll just link to it here and note that when Westbrook posted this photo on Instagram last night, he immediately became a worldwide trending topic. As Westbrook himself likes to say, “Why not?”

June 26, 2013 · 10:30AM

by The NBA.com Style Crew

The NBA Draft is a life-changing event, and many players dream about the chance to walk across the stage after hearing their names called. While the memories will stay with them forever, so will their fashion statements. Some players stick to the basics, while others rock styles that are talked about for years after.

As the NBA gears up for the 2013 Draft presented by State Farm, let’s take a look at the Top 12 picks from 2012. While their games eventually did the talking during their rookie campaigns, it was their style on Draft night that made the first statement. As always, keep up with the conversation using #NBAStyle.

June 25, 2013 · 7:33PM

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by Tracy Weissenberg

When you enter the Willis & Walker Atlanta showroom, you immediately notice the details. The room is made to welcome the customer, make him feel as if he is in his own domain, ready to purchase clothing especially tailored for him.

NBA veteran and former Hawks star Kevin Willis, who studied fashion and textiles at Michigan State, founded the company in 1988 with his college friend Ralph Walker. “Being seven foot, and not being able to go anywhere and buy anything. We weren’t even talking about fashion back then, as far as that sense of style, we just wanted something that we could put on and look halfway decent,” says Willis.

The first product was leather jackets, made after an impromptu trip to New York to buy the leather, which was then sewn by another friend. After seeing people’s reaction to the jackets, Willis and Walker took note of the immediate demand and recognized their potential niche. The company gradually expanded to suits, and in 2003, launched the denim line. Willis now solely runs the company with partners in New York, and talks about the brand’s evolution, saying, “Now it’s more of a lifestyle collection. It’s everything that a man can wear. From outerwear, to knits, wovens, suits, jeans, twill pants, leather, headwear, t-shirts, all of that.”

While one might wonder the steps a professional basketball player took to fully absorb and ingratiate himself within the world of fashion, he did what most other passionate and enthusiastic people out of college do: Internships.

Asked to describe his style, Willis uses the phrase “dynamic elegance” and “simple, classic, modern.” It is the same philosophy he has extended to his brand. And from the showroom, to the collection, Willis’ work is in the details. As he points out, even the company’s logo hints at the shape of a basketball going through a net. While unintentional, it could not be more fitting to reflect the merging passions of the former NBA All-Star. (more…)

June 24, 2013 · 2:57PM

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-ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Through the years we’ve seen the NBA Draft turn into a memorable night not only for hoop dreams, but fashion statements as well. The suit you choose on Draft night will be captured forever in pictures and on film, so it only makes sense to take care with what you wear.

One of the top picks in this year’s Draft looks to be Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel. And while he waits to find out which team will be drafting him, he’s currently figuring out what to wear. Which is where you come in.

Nerlens has his choices narrowed down to three suits, pictured below. The first two looks are by Jhoanna Alba, and the third is by Roger Mischel. All three look great, but Nerlens can only rock one on draft night. Cast your vote down below and tune into the 2013 NBA Draft on Thursday night at 7:00 ET on ESPN to see the winning look.

LOOK ONE

LOOK TWO

LOOK THREE

UPDATE (6/27, 12:45 PM): Voting is now closed. Watch the Draft tonight to see the winner!